The Federal Government has been criticised by many on its recent reaction and approach in handling the #EndSARS protest and protesters. Joseph Ojo, the presiding Archbishop of Calvary Kingdom Church (CKC), Lagos, in adding his voice to the condemnation, said the president was wrongly advised and had lost a golden opportunity of winning and gaining the trust of Nigerians who doubted him before now. Excerpts by SEYI JOHN SALAU
There is currently fear of second wave of Covid-19 across the world; what is your position as a believer?
Like Job said, ‘For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.’ If people are given to fear, what they fear will eventually happen. But, the bible says the just shall live by faith. Agreed all Nigerians cannot be Christians but all Nigerians can practise faith irrespective of the religious belief they hold. Faith is putting trust in God and believing that God is faithful. Faith is knowing that if God said so, it will come to pass. So, my advice is that people should not entertain fear. By tradition the bibles says there shall be wars and rumors of war; what we are in is a kind of war. Social media is not even helping matters, it promotes fear and makes people want to succumb and thus is the weapon of the devil, and the weapon of our warfare is faith and when we use it definitely we will overcome. They may be anticipating it but we should be given to faith – my faith tells me Covid-19 is over.
Can Nigeria afford a second lockdown?
It will be foolishness if they give in to it because that will lead to an unexplainable hardship on the people. The level of poverty will reach a level that we cannot recover from it. I think the best thing for them even if they anticipate it and fear it, is to prepare to manage it without lockdown.
Earlier, you spoke about social media promoting fear; is that to say you support its clampdown by govt.?
The way to control the social media or any evil thing is good. If there are good policies, they will have nothing evil to write about. You know we can overcome evil with good. You can never overcome evil with evil. The evil men will begin to generate things that will create fear but the best thing for any sound government is to begin to do things that before they come out with their evil plan; something good has happen. The bible says we overcome evil with good, and that is my take.
Many Churches and Christians usually plan their events towards Christmas; what then is the implication of a second wave of Covid-19 to the Church?
God that gave us wisdom to scale through the lockdown that lasted about six/seven months is still on the throne. Be wise as serpent and harmless as a dove; that is what God’s word says. I think every right-thinking Christian leader should prayerfully act in wisdom and we will be able to go through it. I’m foreseeing a greater 2021.
Away from the Church to the FG approach to the aftermath of #EndSARS protest; how do you see recent clampdown on supporters of the protest?
I think the Presidency or the Federal Government, or whoever is advising the President is not wise. This was a good time for the president to come out with policy that will make people – even those that have turned their heart against him to stand-up for him. Many at this trying period had said maybe the president was not aware that people are acting without his counsel, but if he gives in to this now it will make people to realise that definitely he deliberately say things when he needed to say them. I think it is wrong advisers; the type that Rehoboam had when he told the people: am going to chastise you more than my dad did, and everybody turned against him – it is not a good counsel. The way he handled it; saying we are going to look at your grievances would have been the best. One would have been expecting now let’s see what he’s going to do, and that would have made everything die down with the anticipation that the president has promised he is going to do something and we are expecting something to come. But not to just in the middle of a game blow for foul where there was no foul – I think it’s wrong and bad advice by the people around him. They know what they are looking for, but they will not get it.
The body of Christ in Lagos is mourning the sudden departure of PFN state chairman; how did you receive the news?
I do not want to say it’s a loss kingdom wise; it is a gain for the kingdom in heaven; but here on earth for the church itself it is a great loss because we still have many battles to fight and he was a frontrunner: he was one of the generals that led the battles. It’s painful that he’s gone so soon but I believe that God is going to give the family and the entire body of Christ the fortitude to bear the loss at this point in time. It came just as a shock and was very sudden.
